Page 63 of Inventions of the Heart

CHAPTER

TWENTY

DRIVING A WAGON DOWNSan Francisco’s busy streets was always slow going.

Michelle was jumpy, expecting armed gunmen to erupt from the alleys or open fire from the second-floor balconies nearly every building featured. Or Kelton to come at them again.

No gunmen, no attacks. They reached the bank and rounded the corner, then pulled into an alley behind the bank.

“Michelle, you and Jilly hurry in and get permission for us to carry the luggage into the nearest secure room.”

Since Michelle had mentioned knowing the bank president, Lloyd Tevis, she and Jilly were the most likely ones to get quick cooperation, and Josh, Zane, and their sisters could stay with the wagon, guns close to hand.

Michelle went in the back door. She wasn’t familiar with the bank, because they’d met Mr. Tevis and his wife and their four children when they’d come visiting in the Stiles home, or when the Stiles family had gone to their home.

Michelle and Jilly were quickly directed to the president’s office. His secretary tried to stop them, but he had a large window in his door, and she saw he was alone. Hurrying through the door, she said, “Mr. Tevis, I need your help and quickly.”

“Michelle, Jilly, what’s the matter?”

Michelle rushed to his side to whisper, “We’ve got gold in a wagon outside your back door. I’m married, and my husband made a gold strike. A nice little vein that we completely dug out.” Michelle was eager to get that bit of information out. Mr. Tevis probably wouldn’t talk about this, but when it came to gold, word spread. She certainly hoped the fact there was no more spread right along with talk of the discovery.

“We want to get it in here, get it exchanged for cash, deposit the cash in your bank, and walk out of here with hopes we won’t be robbed. There’s already been one attempt by Loyal Kelton, the son of your competitor.”

Every word she spoke seemed to send Mr. Tevis staggering a bit. But he was a fast-thinking man. Papa had admired his mind.

“I’ve heard Kelton senior cut his son off. He was furious the boy wasn’t more discreet with his mistress until after he got his fiancée to the altar.”

“So he saw no chance with Beth Ellen,” Michelle said, “but somehow realized what we were carrying, and he acted.”

Tevis nodded, then said, “Let’s go.” When they left the office, they were met by two security guards, no doubt alerted by his secretary, a young man who also stood ready to save his boss. Except since it was two young women charging the man, they probably hesitated to stage a rescue.

“All of you, come with us.” Mr. Tevis led the way at a neartrot to the back door of the bank. Michelle and Jilly on his heels. The three men following close.

He opened it to see Zane and Josh standing in the wagon, alert but with no one robbing them. No guns drawn.

“Tell these men what to carry.” Mr. Tevis took charge.

Soon they were all locked in a back room with a harried-looking man weighing gold on a scale made just for that purpose. Mr. Tevis’s secretary offered them refreshments, but Michelle glanced around and then declined for all of them. “We’ll be meeting Mama for a meal soon. I think we’re all too anxious to eat a thing.”

Annie and Beth Ellen diverted Caroline’s curious exploration of the small and overly crowded room.

Jilly, Zane, and Josh watched the weighing like a hawk. Jilly had already estimated to within ten dollars how much their gold should be worth, and she seemed suspicious of the man working over it, which seemed to make him nervous.

Michelle listened to Mr. Tevis talk about the uproar around San Francisco that came with Laura’s taking over all the holdings of Stiles Lumber, waving around the proxy that gave her power and voting rights for the company and the various boards Papa had sat on.

“I should have been here to help her. But I’m planning to live on Zane’s ranch, so Laura said she’d handle things in Sacramento and here. And besides, there’s been trouble all around us, some of it concerning Horace Benteen and his son, Jarvis. It was safer for me to stay on Zane’s ranch.”

Mr. Tevis furrowed his brows. “I know Horace well. He’s a sharp one.”

Mr. Tevis was sharp, too, so it wasn’t exactly an insult. But the way Lloyd said it wasn’t a compliment.

They talked while his man weighed and counted. Finally the gold was handed over to the Wells Fargo bank, and four accounts were opened. One for each of the four brothers and sisters. Zane felt Jilly should have a share of the gold, but she adamantly refused. “That’s Hart gold, and you’ve been feeding, sheltering, and protecting me for a good length of time now. That’s all the payment I’m willing to accept.”

Then Jilly got a calculating look in her eyes. “Although you really could use a bridge over the river in your southernmost pasture. That river gets too fast moving for the safety of your cattle.” She gave Zane a smile so sunny it looked completely phony. “You could let me build a bridge across it.”

Zane rolled his eyes. “Let’s go see your family.”

They shook hands with Mr. Tevis and left.

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